Pelosi rejects funding wall to protect young immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is rejecting the idea of paying for President Donald Trump’s border wall in exchange for a deal to help hundreds of thousands of young immigrants avoid deportation.

Pelosi said Thursday that wall funding and legal protections for so-called “Dreamers” should not be linked, saying “they’re two different subjects.”

Pelosi, who is seeking to become House speaker in January, said Congress should pass appropriations bills that key committees have already agreed on, along with a separate measure funding the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the border.

Pelosi said agency funding should address border security and does not necessarily include the wall, a top Trump priority.

Her comments came as the House approved a stopgap bill Thursday to keep the government funded through Dec. 21.